What makes a good story?

[The Jackle]

What makes a truly good story? Is it a veried plot line? or maybe a rapid pace? Post your thought's.

[PeterL]

Mark Twain's article "Fennimore Cooper's Literary Offences" lists most of the features that are necessary for a good story. I could add a few, but Mr Clemens did an adequate job. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3172/3172.txt

[Logos]

I'll second PeterL in that Twain's essay really sums it up, (http://www.online-literature.com/twain/1317/) albeit brutally :p


"There are nineteen rules governing literary art in the domain of romantic fiction--some say twenty-two. In Deerslayer Cooper violated eighteen of them."....

[botkin]

I was hoping to read an interesting discussion among forum members about what are the marks of good literature, and what balance of plot and style makes for the best story.

But seeing Twain rip Fenimore Cooper a new one was so much better :p